Local governments expect windfall from COVID relief bill
A large part of the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan signed into law last week will put money toward state, county, and local governments. Those institutions have seen their revenues fall dramatically during the pandemic, and contributions from the federal government could go a long way toward pulling them out of the hole.
The state is expecting to pull in $5.9 billion in funding. Another $4.4 billion is filtering down to county, city, and township governments throughout the state.
Reports indicate governments in Kalamazoo County could be on the receiving end of more than $111 million dollars, distributed throughout the various institutions:
| Government | Amount | Population | $ per person |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alamo Township | $389,819 | 3,948 | $99 |
| Brady Township | $449,655 | 4,554 | $99 |
| Charleston Township | $205,179 | 2,078 | $99 |
| Climax Township | $250,697 | 2,539 | $99 |
| Comstock Charter Township | $1,539,727 | 15,594 | $99 |
| Cooper Charter Township | $1,092,738 | 11,067 | $99 |
| Galesburg | $205,475 | 2,081 | $99 |
| Kalamazoo | $40,626,404 | 76,200 | $533 |
| Kalamazoo Charter Township | $2,236,525 | 22,651 | $99 |
| Kalamazoo County | $51,407,918 | 265,066 | $194 |
| Oshtemo Charter Township | $2,289,745 | 23,190 | $99 |
| Parchment | $180,494 | 1,828 | $99 |
| Pavilion Township | $635,678 | 6,438 | $99 |
| Portage | $5,528,843 | 49,445 | $112 |
| Prairie Ronde Township | $238,750 | 2,418 | $99 |
| Richland Township | $826,935 | 8,375 | $99 |
| Ross Township | $489,743 | 4,960 | $99 |
| Schoolcraft Township | $897,631 | 9,091 | $99 |
| Texas Charter Township | $1,703,238 | 17,250 | $99 |
| Wakeshma Township | $134,186 | 1,359 | $99 |
The money is meant to go toward a specific range of projects, such as infrastructure improvements and hazard pay for workers. Governments are specifically restricted from putting the money toward pension debts or tax cuts.
You can read more on Bridge Michigan.
Independent journalism is essential to a healthy democracy. Make a donation today.
Thank you to the community institutions that support our work:
